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American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke has increased his stake in Arsenal to 28.3 per cent to become the club's biggest single shareholder.

Arsenal issued a statement on Friday saying Kroenke, who joined the club's board last year, had bought 4,839 shares from members of director Richard Carr's family.

He paid more than £41 million for the shares having purchased them for between £8,500 and £10,500 each, the club said.

"As a result of the acquisition, Stan Kroenke has a beneficial interest in, and controls voting rights over 17,613 ordinary shares in the company, representing 28.3 per cent of the company's issued ordinary shares," read a statement from the Gunners.

The prices paid value the club at over £525m.

Kroenke has leapfrogged Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who was the largest shareholder with about 25 percent, and a report in the Financial Times said the prospect of a contested takeover for the club had edged closer.

The American businessman's shareholding is now close to the 30 percent threshold that would force him to make an automatic offer for the remaining shares, although he has previously said he was not interested in pursuing a full buyout.

Kroenke, owner of the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer team, had raised his stake in the north London club to 20.5 per cent at the end of March by buying a third of director Daniel Fiszman's holding for £42.5m.

Arsenal, who trail Manchester United 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final ahead of next week's second leg, have been at the centre of takeover speculation after Kroenke and Usmanov started building stakes.

The American's increased investment was welcomed on Friday by the Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST), whose members hold about three per cent of the club's equity.

"The AST were the first shareholders at Arsenal to welcome Kroenke's initial investment. We have since established a good dialogue with him and this will continue," it said in a statement.

"Our position is that stability and plurality in ownership is to the benefit of Arsenal.

"We hope he will build relationships with all shareholders so that club has stability off the pitch which is a vital ingredient for success on it".

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said Carr would remain a director of the club.

"I would like to pay tribute to the long-standing commitment that the Carr family have shown towards Arsenal," said Hill-Wood.

"The club are hugely indebted to them for the role that they have played in the development and success of the club over the years.

"The board particularly wish to thank Richard Carr for his hard work, effort and integrity since joining the board in 1981 and I am pleased to say Richard will continue on as a director of the club."

AFP / Reuters